In short
- Start from the problem: an AI agent, an AI app, or AI added to software you already have.
- Ask for live products with real users, not demos.
- AI writes code fast. Ask who reviews it, and how.
- You should own the code, the accounts and the data from day one.
- Overlapping hours matter more than location.
- Start with one small, useful piece before you commit to a big build.
What an AI developer does
"AI developer" covers a few different jobs. Most businesses need one of these:
- Someone to build AI into a product: chat, smart search, writing help, or answers from your own documents.
- Someone to build an AI agent: software that reads messages, decides what to do and acts in your tools, like answering customers or following up leads. See AI agents.
- Someone to build your whole app with AI tools: engineers who use coding agents like Claude Code and Codex to ship web and mobile apps faster. See AI-assisted software development.
Most founders don't need someone to train a new AI model. Today's models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google do the job with the right setup. What you need is people who can turn them into software your users trust.
Freelancer, in-house or an AI development company?
| Compared | Freelancer | In-house hire | AI development company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Fast | Slow: recruiting takes months | Fast, after a scoping call |
| Range of skills | One person's skills | Grows as you hire | AI, design, web, mobile and testing in one team |
| Code review | Often none | Depends on your team | Should be built in: ask how |
| If someone is away | Work stops | Others may cover | The team covers |
| Best for | A small, clear task | A long-term core team | Building a product or agent end to end |
Many companies mix them: an AI development company builds the first version, then helps train or hand over to an in-house team.
What to check before you hire
- Real AI work in production. Ask for live products with real users and numbers. For example, our AI lesson and quiz writer cut the time to create a course by 60% for CoursePro.
- How AI-written code is reviewed. AI coding tools are fast but make confident mistakes. A senior engineer should review every change, and tests should run on every update.
- Security and data. Where does your data go? Are API keys kept off the browser? Who can see what? Good teams answer these clearly.
- Ownership. Your repo, your cloud accounts, your AI model keys and your data, in your name from the first day.
- How they test AI answers. AI features need checks with real questions, not just a quick try. Ask how they catch wrong or unsafe answers.
- Working hours and talk. At least a few hours of overlap each day, and direct access to the engineers, not only a manager.
Questions to ask in the first call
- What have you built that's like this, and can I see it working?
- Who reviews the code the AI tools write?
- How will you test that the AI gives good answers?
- What would you build first, and why?
- Who owns the code, accounts and data?
- What happens if the developer I work with leaves?
- How will I see progress each week?
Red flags
- Only demos. Nothing live, with real users.
- "The AI does everything." No human review, no tests.
- Vague on data. They can't say where your data goes or who can see it.
- Lock-in. The code or accounts sit in their name.
- A big build before a small win. Months of work before you see anything useful.
Start small, then grow
The safest way to hire AI developers is to start with one useful piece: one agent, one AI feature or one screen of your app. You see how the team works, how they talk and how good the code is, before you commit to more.
Good teams make that easy to grow from. Mobile Monster started with us on one platform and has worked with our team for 5+ years. Sentré went from a no-code prototype to both app stores in 8 weeks.
Already built something with an AI tool like Lovable or Bolt? Start with an audit. See vibe-coded app rescue.
How hiring AI developers works at HKS
- Free call. 30 minutes on what you want to build and where AI helps.
- Scope. We pick the first piece, map it and agree the plan.
- Build. Our engineers build with Claude Code and Codex. A senior engineer reviews every change, and you see working software every week.
- Grow. Keep one developer, add a team, or hand over to your own people.
We commit to 4 hours of overlap with US business hours. See hire AI developers.
Questions people ask
- Should I hire an AI engineer or a full-stack developer?
- For most business apps, a full-stack developer who builds with AI tools and AI models is the right fit. You need a specialist AI engineer only for unusual work, like training your own model.
- Can a non-technical founder hire AI developers?
- Yes. Pick a team that explains things in plain words, shows working software every week and has a senior engineer in charge of quality.
- Do AI developers still need code review?
- Yes, more than ever. AI tools write code fast, and they also make confident mistakes. Every change should be reviewed by a person and tested.
- Is it safe to share my data with an AI developer?
- It should be. Ask where the data goes, which AI models see it, and get it in writing that the data and accounts stay yours.